


The Cycle of the Five Lions Appendix

by maychorian



Series: The Cycle of the Five Lions [5]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Backstory, Dungeons & Dragons-based World, Gen, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-09
Updated: 2017-06-09
Packaged: 2018-11-11 12:52:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11148813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maychorian/pseuds/maychorian
Summary: Character profiles, fairy tales, and various notes for The Cycle of the Five Lions. Think of it like the appendices in The Lord of the Rings. You don't have to read it to enjoy the story, but it might deepen it for you. (And there will be spoilers for the main story.)





	1. Lance's Profile

Name: Lance (traveling name, has a secret name among his own people, Alejandro Alvarez)  
Race: Human  
Alignment: Neutral Good  
Age: 19  
Physique: Tall and slender  
Class: Bard   
Skills: Illusion, healing, and ranged attack spells; high dex and cha, above average int and wis, average str and con; main performance skill is oratory - storytelling, can also sing and play stringed instruments but ranks are lower; high persuasion but sometimes rolls 1s, good physical skills, streetwise, bardic knowledge  
Deity: The Leviathan  
Lion's Name: Blue  
Backstory: Lance comes from a family of sea-traders. They roam the southern seas trading and doing merchant work. About two years ago, a violent storm blew up, and Lance was separated from his family. He washed ashore in Sura City. His family visits there about once a year, so all he had to do was wait. He didn't dare to leave and try any other cities or islands for fear he would miss them. Unfortunately, at the time his family visited last year, Lance was deathly ill. Life had gone hard for him, living on the streets, though he managed to get by with his fledgling performance skills. It was then that Blue, as well as Allura and Coran, entered his life. Now he stays at The Crystal Lion inn with the Alteans. He performs in the evening for the guests, as well as in the marketplace during the day. Without the stress of homelessness (and being robbed more than once), he's been able to develop his skills and his magic, and he does quite well for himself. Still, he longs to see his family again. When they come to Sura City, he plans to leave with them and never look back.


	2. Pidge's Profile

Name: Pidge Gunderson (Katherine Holt)  
Race: Human  
Alignment: Chaotic Good  
Age: 16  
Physique: Short and slippery  
Class: Rogue  
Skills: maxed use magic device, has an unusually high number of magic items on her person; high dex and int, above average str and wis, average con and cha; sneak attack with thrown knife, knife is magic and always returns to her; high acrobatics, stealth, and sleight of hand but no persuasion to speak of, high knowledge - arcana, can pick any lock given time  
Deity: The Stranger  
Lion's Name: Holly  
Backstory: Pidge comes from a family of wizards. She was in early training to be a wizard, still choosing her path, when calamity struck her family. About two years ago, her father and older brother went on a Garrison City-funded exploratory mission to the Dragon Waste. The expedition was lost with all hands. The government declared it to be a magical accident, something to do with the chaotic magic left behind by Leviathan when the great dragon god was exiled from the land to the sea, probably triggered by some mistake made by the expedition leaders. Pidge's mother, a divination expert, knew that something was wrong. The government was lying. She petitioned for answers, but they labeled her a crazy widow driven wild with grief and shut her down. Pidge, then Katie, began sneaking into government buildings looking for the truth, but she never found anything satisfactory. Eventually she was caught and sentenced to house arrest. She disguised herself as a boy and traveled out into the larger world to find the answers for herself. Her skills match the path of a rogue, now, and she believes that it is too late for her to ever train as a wizard.

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/156497099@N03/35548566622/in/dateposted-public/)


	3. Hunk's Profile

Name: Hunk (nickname Lance gave him long ago, birth name is Tsuyoshi Lopamaua)  
Race: Human  
Alignment: Lawful Good  
Age: 19  
Physique: Large and broad  
Class: Paladin  
Skills: Turn undead, lay on hands, has an especially soft and compassionate touch; high str and wis, above average int and con, average dex and cha; fights mounted with a heavy spear, also powerful on the ground with a broadsword, wears full plate, tank; high ranks in cooking and several knowledges as well as healing  
Deity: The Boars  
Lion's Name: Sunshine Boy (Sunny or Sunny B for short)  
Horse’s Name: Big Bart  
Backstory: Hunk grew up in small coastal village, his family and neighbors all either fishers or farmers. Being so close to the land, the Boars, god and goddess of agriculture and domestic arts, are very important to Hunk and his people. He was always a devout boy, and he was very young when he was praying one day and the Boars spoke to him, calling Hunk to be their paladin. The Boars call very, very few paladins, but those they do call always become very famous, mighty heroes of the common folk. Hunk at first was afraid of this calling. He knew that most paladins travel the land and seek good deeds to do, and he would have much rather stayed at home. But his family and neighbors were all incredibly proud. Surrounded by love and encouragement, Hunk couldn't help but grow to accept his destiny, though reluctantly at first. And his friend from a sea-trading family told him all about how fun it was to travel around, to see new things and meet new people. After that, Hunk began to look forward to the day he would set out on his journey. His entire village worked to prepare him. The retired adventurer down the street dusted off his skills and taught him how to fight. The local smith went to the closest city to learn techniques so she could make a good set of armor for him. And the entire village argued extensively about what kind of steed Hunk should be given. Hunk and his horse are good friends, since Hunk grew up and trained with him from a colt. Soon after he turned eighteen and set off on his life-long quest, the yellow lion joined Hunk, too. He took it for a sign of divine favor from the Boars, and his heart is full and strong as he travels the land looking for monsters to fight, blights to cure, and wounds to heal.

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/156497099@N03/35548567272/in/dateposted-public/)


	4. Coran and Allura's Profiles

Name: Allura  
Race: Elf  
Alignment: Lawful Good  
Age: Unknown  
Physique: Willowy but strong  
Class: Cleric  
Skills: enhancement and transformation, healing, teleportation magic, all almost never used except healing and that only in small amounts; high wis, con, and str, above average int and cha, average dex; high persuasion, healing, professional skills and some knowledges  
Deity: The Panther

Name: Coran  
Race: Elf  
Alignment: Neutral Good  
Age: Unknown  
Physique: Average height and strength (deceptive, he's much stronger than he looks)  
Class: Wizard  
Skills: evocation and divination, almost never uses magic so those skills are mostly unknown; high int and wis, above average str and cha, average con and dex; high in every single knowledge skill, above average persuasion, cross-class performance - comedy, high in cooking (took him a long time to learn to suit human sensibilities, though), profession - carpenter, profession - smith  
Deity: The Panther  
Backstory: Allura and Coran are among the last survivors of the Altean Elves, an offshoot of the high elves. Altea was once a small but powerful kingdom on the continent on the other side of the world. Centuries ago, the Alteans were almost completely wiped out by the vampire Zarkon and his burgeoning empire. Allura and Coran escaped and fled, carrying innumerable secrets with them. Now, they live in Sura City and keep a small inn, The Crystal Lion. They spend their days peacefully serving guests, Allura as the kind-hearted but firm-handed owner and Coran as her charming and cheerful uncle. They dare not use their magic for fear that Zarkon and his second-in-command, the powerful sorcerer Haggar, will find them. When the blue fairy lion appeared before them one day about a year ago, though, and led them to a sick young man collapsed in the street, they knew that things were about to change.

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/156497099@N03/34876161064/in/dateposted-public/)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Shiro's profiles will be added later.


	5. The Pantheon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the pantheon this fantasy world is based on. It was created ten years ago by me and four of my real life geeky friends, Jill, Aaron, Josh, and Gabe, so I do not claim full credit, though it was a very collaborative effort and my fingerprints are all over it, even the sections I didn't personally write.
> 
> Some of the details do not apply, like the mentions of Latran and Yogawan society. That is part of a different world, the Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting we created, which we called Wrath & Gunfire.

 

_**First Tier:** _

**The Canary N – Diell/The Yellow Canary or the Golden Condor**

The Canary is the god of the sun. Legend has it that the Canary has been chased by the Panther since the beginning of time. The Canary brings light unto the world, but has little else to do with it. Despite this, clerics of the Canary are common and many people worship him.

**The Panther N – Vilaa/The Stalking Panther or the Hidden Cat**

The Panther is the goddess of the moon. Even though the Panther has almost never interacted with the world, she has many worshippers and clerics.

**The Wolf LG – Perun/The Loyal Hound or The Cunning Wolf**

The Wolf is the god of justice, cunning in the face of adversity, the hunt, and hunger. Friendly to warriors, the Wolf is one of the most frequent callers of paladins. Worship of the Wolf is more widespread in Latra, where they have an appreciation for cagey fighters. The Wolf tends to call more paladins than clerics, but temples dedicated to his worship often have a cleric of the Wolf.

**The Rabbit CG – Arnabari/The Inspired Hare or The Tricky One**

Often simply called “the Jackrabbit,” even in high Latran society, the Rabbit is the god of trickery, humor, and inspiration. Many entertainers and bards look to him, as well as many of those who reside on the shady side of the law. The Rabbit is one to intervene in the affairs of the world from time to time, but his actions tend to appear random; perhaps he is playing a joke on the inhabitants of the world. The Rabbit is not well appreciated in proper Yogawan society, as he is seen as a class enemy by the rulers. The Rabbit does not call paladins, and while it is very rare for clerics of the Rabbit to be seen, this may be because they do not wish to be apparent.

**The Boars NG – Moccus and Mindris/The Benevolent Boars or The Boar and the Sow**

The Boars are the god and goddess of the harvest, homely comfort, and reproduction. While countless commoners and peasants give a sacrifice to the Boars every year after the harvest and many rulers do the same on a larger scale, the Boars are not worshipped by many who bear arms or who have studied the arcane arts. The Boars call clerics commonly, though the clerics tend to be rustic sorts who advise village chiefs and assist with agriculture; the Boars often appeal to druids of the good persuasion. While it is exceedingly rare to find a paladin called by the Boars, the few who were have been documented to rise to become great defenders of the common man.

**The Tiger LE – Thannall/The Red Tiger or The Jungle Warlord**

The Tiger is the god of tyranny, control, extreme measures, and war. The Tiger is widely worshipped by those with strong ambitions and by many leaders, or would-be leaders. He calls evil paladins, and also corrupts good ones to his brutal point of view and turns them into blackguards. Clerics of the Tiger are dangerous and have dominated many a town.

**The Frog CE – Babel/The Mad Frog or The Laughing Toad**

The Frog is the god of madness, vindictive misfortune, the undead, and entertainment. There are many legends of the Frog fending off the Tiger or the Wolf with a well timed song or dance (or both), and there are certain kinds of bards who look to him for inspiration. Clerics of the Frog are easy to spot, since they tend to be unkempt and have something of a look of death about them. While the Frog is fascinating, he is ever dangerous, since he seems to prefer his spectators dead.

**The Eagle NE – Ixtab/The Wandering Runner or The Flightless Eagle**

The Eagle is the goddess of travel, anger, and undeserving fortune. She used to soar above the mountains, called the Golden Eagle instead of the Flightless Eagle, but her wings crippled by the Whirlwind. Ever since, the Eagle has been vindictive and quick to anger. While she became a strong runner and took to travel, her anger has never subsided.

**The Stranger LN – Zynu/The Pale Stranger or The Clockmaker or The Meddler**

The Stranger is the god of death, necessity, technology, and one of the three patron gods of magic. The Stranger has few worshippers, but many admirers. While it is mostly a god of things that are seen as unpleasant, the Stranger is well respected in arcane and technological circles, with prayers and sacrifices to him being common there. With his reaping Vulture, the Stranger is a mysterious figure who has intervened in world affairs at critical moments for cryptic reasons.

**The Whirlwind CN – Grar/The Rampaging Whirlwind or The Fluttering Blade**

The Whirlwind is the god of natural disasters, the order of nature, and one of the three patron gods of magic. Many sacrifice to the Whirlwind as a sort of preventative insurance. Legends of the Whirlwind have him being fooled into doing things for the Tiger or Roadrunner, only to be foiled by the cunning of the Rabbit. Many warriors respect the power of the Whirlwind and worship him.

**The Leviathan N – Salasaur/The Mighty Leviathan or The Coiled Dragon**

The Leviathan is the god of the seas, dragons, and one of the three patron gods of magic. Wise and undisputedly mighty, the Leviathan is often seen as a great serpentine dragon. Legend says that some time in the past, an alliance of the Tiger, Frog, and Whirlwind and their followers wished to oust the Leviathan from the dominance of what is now called Latra. They succeeded in forcing the dragon god into the seas, where the Leviathan took on great powers. Now, while dragonborn and dragons often prefer dry and arid surroundings, their great benefactor rules the seas.

**The Snake NE – Veema/The Crafty Snake or The Soft Whisper**

The Snake is the goddess of deceit, manipulation, luck, and pure self-interest. She is also sometimes (ironically) called the Many-Armed, because the tendrils of her influence seem to spread everywhere, and to turn up in the least-expected places. The Snake does not make open alliance with any of the other gods, preferring to follow her own winding, unpredictable path, but those with sharp eyes have claimed to see her slender tongue flickering in the ear of many an unsuspecting creature, including even the most powerful of gods. It is said that the Snake enjoys encouraging the Whirlwind to unleash destruction in floods and tornadoes, the Leviathan to swallow ships, kings and warlords to pursue their egos to the fall of their dominions—and this she does solely for her own amusement, with no wish to truly rule or wholly destroy. The trick is that she does not proclaim or order or force—she suggests, she pushes, she nudges, she uses what is already there. Before you notice her, she is gone. She has many followers in all walks of life, but cares nothing for any of them. The Snake is also the god of narcissists, though they don’t realize it.

**The Bear LG – Obora/The Winter Bear or The Good Death or The Sleeping Mother**

The Bear is the goddess of winter, death, and motherhood. Some see her as an immense polar bear striding through the snow, some as a grizzly protecting her young. Some see her as a great black bear rising up to block the light, and this is the last sight they see. Scholars say that those who die in the Black Bear’s paws die peaceful and warm, soothed into rest as if by their own mothers. Sometimes even those who are not dying see the Black Bear prowling through battlefields, and Tiger and Wolf will pause their struggles to bow to her in the mud and the blood. But, of course, it is far more common to see the Bear in her frozen sanctuary, ruling over winter, breathing crystallized snow from her nostrils and carving icebergs with her razor-sharp claws.

The Bear’s temples are difficult to find in most cities, but it gets rather easier in the more rural regions, and the farther north, the more common. Her most stalwart followers, particularly some clerics and paladins, pooh at fires and heavy clothes and prefer to embrace the cold, saying that it brings them closer to their god. The Bear herself thinks this is silly—after all, SHE has a nice warm coat.

_**Second Tier:** _

**The Prism NG – Rau/The Many-Sided Prism or The Northern Lights**

The Prism is the goddess of spirits, dreams, curiosity and open doors. Her realm is the non-corporeal, and some say that she is thus everywhere at once, and nowhere simultaneously. She is endlessly interested, forever collecting information that she can never use, being unable to touch the world. Because of this, many wizards of the intellectual sort have a particular fondness for her. Her temples are rather rare, but very beautiful, full of stained glass and prisms carefully arranged to catch the light.

**The Waterfowl CN – Fadasi/The Foolish Fowl or The Swimming Bird**

The Waterfowl is the god of fools, natural wildness, air, and fresh water (since Leviathan is confined to the ocean). He is the embodiment of wildness, not the destructive power of the Whirlwind, but of an inability to be tamed. He both flies and swims, and thus belongs to both air and water, wholly in each and apart from neither. He is friends with the Frog, but does not know madness—he is neighbors with the Boars, but does not submit to them. He enjoys the light of both Panther and Canary but belongs to neither, eludes the Hunter, Wolf and Tiger, disregards the Snake, gambols with the Rabbit, converses with Leviathan, and belongs only to himself. Because the Waterfowl is between so many extremes, he is the best symbol of balance used in arcane magic, and a favorite of druids and tribal shamans. Some say that when the Waterfowl eats the Frog, chaos will conquer law and rule supreme, and this cannot be righted without a great upheaval of earth and sky, and a re-ording of gods and nations. Some say that this has already happened.

The Waterfowl does not have clerics and paladins, but he does have druids and bards, and a good percentage of sorcerers. While there are no temples built to him, there are many road-side shrines, and loyalists insist that every rock, stump and stream is a place to leave an offering to the Waterfowl.

**The Hunter LE – Merle/The Wary Hunter or The Silent Death**

The Hunter is the god of weapons, secrets, strength, and death. When he appears, it is as a titanic human, standing astride the hills or forests or even mountains with his arrow nocked and drawn, the fletching pulled to his ear. The Hunter is always silent. Some say that he is mute, others that he is merely waiting, and when he speaks the world will end. He is forever hunting the other gods, except for the Stranger and the Prism, and so there is never-ending animosity between them. He and the Rabbit have a particular rivalry—often it will seem that Hunter has caught or killed the Rabbit, and then the Rabbit will outwit the Hunter and run away, laughing at his pride.

**The Fox CG – Hlagen/The Subtle Fox or The Vixen Muse**

The Fox is the goddess of wit, wisdom, and ingenuity. A subtle goddess of craftsmen and inventors, she is credited for numerous technological achievements, from fire, which she won from the Whirlwind in a legendary contest of wits, to the sextant and gunpowder. One of the few gods to have heralds, she always sends other kitsune (fox spirits) to tend to her faithful and send inspiration.

Oddly, she is revered throughout Yogawa for her wisdom and protection. And yet, in Latra, the Fox is venerated as the muse of craftsmen, inventors, and the occasional artist.

**The Armadillo NG – Rolander/The Ward of Earth or The Wandering Stone**

The Armadillo is the god of earth, survival, and protection. A singular wanderer, the armadillo is a surviver. He is strengthened by his connection to the earth itself. Every stone both speaks to him and heeds his counsel, and when required they come to his aid. He is an ancient enemy of the Snake, Whirlwind, and Frog.

One legend says that the Frog in his madness tricked the armadillo into crossing a great river. The Frog sang at his victory, thinking that the armadillo would fall to the bottom and die. So loud was his singing that the Frog did not notice that the Armadillo could swim. Once the Armadillo had reached the other side, the Frog’s singing stopped and he dove into the river, swimming away in defeat. The Armadillo had not known it was a contest.

**The Heron NG – Nadeah/The White Maid or The Heron of the Mist**

The Heron is the goddess of true love, innocence, purity, and beauty. She is often regarded as the symbol of good and tends to be the goddess of idealistic bards. She is often asked to protect children and is the patron of young women. In any culture where love matches are important she is asked to bless marriages. At the beginning of the world she and the Fox had worked together to inspire a song which would drive the evil from the hearts of men, however, as soon as the song began, the Frog heard it and twisted it. Wherever his version was heard, evil was strengthened and madness and cruelty reigned. The Heron is a benevolent goddess, but the perversion of her beautiful song has led her to hate the Frog and to desire his destruction. Her clerics tend to be unmarried and females are more common than males. Her temples will usually be made of white stone and are lovingly carved with images of birds in flight. In Yogawa, where she is known as the Crane, crane’s feathers are a common token of love. Favored weapon is the long spear or naganata.

_**Third Tier:** _

**The Rat NE – Nimus/The Hateful Rat or The Pestilent One**

The symbol of the rat is any rotting small animal, or art depicting such a thing. Unholy symbols often show rats with mange and other diseases. The eyes are always red and bloodshot.

The Rat is the god of hate, plagues, and pestilence. Few share company with the Rat. His eyes are a wellspring of rage and his presence spawns pestilence. When the world was young, the Rat was jealous of the other gods and their mighty possitions. He ran around picking up the scraps that the other gods had left. No one but the Rat knows what finally broke him. It’s not even written in the Stranger’s archives. But, one day his rage twisted him, and he left his station below the gods. He grew in hate till he was a blight.

But even then the Rat found that he could not harm the gods, and his helplessness only fueled his hate. After many years of wallowing in his own hatred, he found a way to hurt the gods. He unleashed disease on the world and its life withered in his presence.

**The Mongoose LG – Tavvik/The Faithful Mongoose or The Wolf’s Servant**

A follower of the Wolf, the Mongoose has been seen as the god of loyalty and a minor god of destruction of evil (under the Wolf, due to his domain of justice). His aptitude for justice, cunning, and hunting all stem from his training under the Wolf. Disgusted by the Serpent’s turn from his original neutrality and from his master’s orders, Tavvik spends his days hunting the Serpent. A prophecy spoken by the only known cleric of the Stranger states that the Mongoose will catch and kill his prey but will give his life in doing so.

**The Spider CN – Nasi/The Fearful Spider or The Canary’s Prey**

The Spider is the god of fear. While small in comparison to the other gods, the Spider’s venom is potent. The Spider is in constant search of safety from the Canary. It is said that, while running from the Canary, it tripped over one of its legs and sunk its fangs into the earth. In a matter of days, the venom had spread over the entire planet, bringing fear (some healthy, some debilitating) to everyone everywhere.

**The Beaver NG – Banan/The Diligent Beaver or The Unsleeping Father**

The Beaver is the god of industry, protectiveness, and fatherhood. Popular in Caylambra.

**The Goat CN – Toras/The Hungry Goat or The Mountainclimber**

The Goat is the god of mountains, caves, and greed. Popular in Barva.

**The Mouse CG – Ypset/The Drunken Mouse or The Guardian of the Granary**

Usually shy and retiring, the Mouse can always be lured out of hiding with the promise of a party and plenty of alcohol. It is said that people first discovered the properties of fermentation when a farmer heard a strange sound and went to his barn to investigate. There he discovered the Mouse, lying in the middle of a spill of wet, swollen grain, completely gorged. She was giggling and singing to herself, and was not afraid of the man as she had always been before—no mortal had ever seen the Mouse closely before that moment, only a flash of brownish-gray as she ran from them. (The Mouse had been most unfairly persecuted by the Hunter when he was first learning to hunt and found her an easy target, so she was understandably wary of all creatures on two legs.)

Before this people had always thrown out their grain if it got wet and took on that peculiar smell. But with this discovery, an explosion of invention and enjoyment of alcohol spread across Middian in a matter of months. (Very quick movement for a time when travel between villages took days or weeks.) The Mouse is now a very popular goddess practically everywhere. Many places have celebrations in her honor, often more than once a year.

Though the Mouse has no temples, it is common for a tavern or common house to have a small alcove at the bottom of the wall where those appreciative of the Mouse can offer a small glass of booze for her children to drink. That is all the sacrifice that the Mouse requires. Her paladins and clerics are rare, but very jolly.

**_Sea Gods_ **

**The Pelican – NG/Ascree/The Wise Fisher or The Sailor’s Friend**

The Pelican is a sea going creature, not an actual creature of the sea. As such he is a considered the friend of sailors who have also learned to survive on the water. Ascree values the ability to take care of yourself, but he has been known to help a wise sailor in times of trouble. He has few temples but most ships have a small shrine of some sort aboard. Pelicans are regarded as good luck by sailors and fishers and it’s said that to kill one brings the worst of luck.

**The Crab – NE/Candrac/The Small Trouble or The Bitter One**

The Crab is a small god who was given the run of the beaches and the tide pools. He was proud of his small domain and content until one day the Snake convinced him to climb a palm tree and look at the full power and majesty of the ocean. When Candrac saw the ocean his heart was darkened and he wished to control the whole of it. He made many attempts but was not powerful enough to gain anything. He remains in control of his small domain, doing the best he can to make things unpleasant for everyone else. He has few followers or clerics, but anyone who has heard his legend and identifies with him may be swayed to follow him.

**The Coral – N/Moko/The Reclaimer or The Knowing**

The Coral is one of the few (the only?) gods to remain wholly in the mortal realm. Coral is a connected force which remains on the edge of the ocean, aware of what goes on around it, but somewhat unconcerned. Anything that sinks into the sea where coral can survive, will be used by the coral to build itself further. The Coral is a little known god, in some ways the mirror of the Prism.

**The Dolphin – CN/Aisake/The Sea Child or The Grey Jokester**

The Dolphin is a strange god. It is said that he can be heard laughing at the ships while they sink, but the sailors say that sometimes dolphins have led them to safety. While the Leviathan is the power and might of the seas, the Dolphin is perhaps the best representative of its uncontrolled nature. He has few followers, mostly people who have lost something to the sea and responded by throwing themselves fully into its madness.

**The Shark – LG/Vaer/The Long Swimmer**

God of ocean travel, the Shark can be friendly to those who voyage on the sea, but only if they pay him proper fealty.

 


	6. Why the Hunter Hates the Rabbit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something of a creation story. This is one of Lance's most popular tales. I wrote this one personally, as well as the following chapter.

In the beginning, the Prism was not known to the other gods, imprisoned as she was in the world of the incorporeal—it would be some time before the Bear would travel far enough north, exploring her frozen domain, to meet the goddess of dreams in the lights of the northern sky. Also in the beginning, it was long millennia before the Stranger would appear, stepping out of the egg that fell from the sky. But in the beginning, the Hunter was there, as primal and powerful as any of the other gods.

In this beginning, when the sky was bright, the sea was dark, and the land unpeopled, the gods opened their newborn eyes to blink at the new sun of young Middian. They looked around, studying each other, and saw that many of them had fur and whiskers, others had scales or cool, smooth skin, others feathered wings. Only one of them seemed to have no covering, a strange, pale brown creature who stood on two legs, blinking with dark eyes and staring at the assembled animals.

The gods began to explore the world, discovering their realms and responsibilities. They gave each other names, for they all spoke all languages, and understood each other well, though they did not all agree. Only one of them did not speak well—the creature with no fur or scales or feathers. When he spoke, the other gods laughed, though the kinder among them tried to hide it. His voice was so strange, so lisping and stammering and ugly to the ears.

The Rabbit, laughing his high-pitched laugh that seemed fit to split the sky, called him Stumbletongue, and the other gods laughed, too. All laughed except for a few who did not care for jokes, like Tiger and Wolf, and the Heron, who was too kind, and the Frog, who was too busy singing his mad songs to notice the capers of the other gods. The newly-named Stumbletongue clamped his mouth shut and glared at them all, with a particularly baleful look for the Rabbit.

By this time, most of the gods had discovered what they liked best and where they preferred to live. The Great Leviathan ruled on the largest continent, breathing fire and mist and playing with magic. The Heron and Waterfowl cavorted together in the water and the air, fooling each other in and out of love. The Golden Eagle roamed the skies, and the Whirlwind confined himself to small disasters that the other gods quickly put right, laughing at his sport. The Armadillo began to explore the new earth, traveling back frequently to tell the others what he had seen.

The Tiger and the Wolf enjoyed their hunts in the jungle and the forest, meeting frequently to wrestle and spar. They did not yet know death, though. All the creatures they hunted were gods themselves, and therefore always escaped the hunt, which was more for sport than true.

The Fox and the Frog did battle over who made the finest art, though the Fox was always in fun while the Frog was madly serious. The Boars began to till the earth and cultivate crops, always curious about how they could make the plants’ children better than what came before. The Rabbit laughed and joked with all, never in the same place. The Snake discovered that she enjoyed disappearing into the green of grass or leaf, leaping out in the least-expected places and laughing her hissing laugh at the other gods’ startlement. The Bear gave birth to twins while far north in her explorations and made the first home when she retreated to a cave to protect her children from the snow. The Panther chased the Canary in endless circles, never closer, never farther behind.

But Stumbletongue had not yet discovered where he was meant to be.

Stumbletongue went to Leviathan, who was inventing the art of conjuration. The god with no covering bowed before the great dragon, and waited for an audience. He waited for days, and did not flinch as powerful sparks flew by his head, flows and showers of magic in all colors, bright and hot and dangerous even to gods. At last Leviathan ceased his experiments and bent his head to speak to the smaller god.

“What do you seek, Stumbletongue?”

“I wish for you to teach me powerful magics, Leviathan.”

“Hmm.” The dragon lifted his head up and away, gazing down at the pale creature with narrowed eyes. “I cannot teach you magic, little Stumbletongue. Magic is too large for you. That is for me to teach to my dragons, when they come to Middian. They will learn from me all there is to know of power and fire. But you, I cannot teach. Seek your destiny elsewhere.”

Stumbletongue bowed and went his way. As he walked, the Rabbit saw him, and stopped to mock his presumption for asking to be taught magic when he couldn’t even speak properly. Stumbletongue said nothing, only continued to walk, his head down, showing nothing.

He found the Boars busy digging up a stump rooted in one of their fields. Stumbletongue knelt on the ground and waited for them to acknowledge him. For days he waited, while they prepared for the sunny season just beginning in a frenzy of tilling and planting. At last the Sow noticed the pale creature kneeling at the edge of the field, and she nudged her husband with her tusk. The Boar nodded, and they came to listen to his words. The Sow spoke first.

“What do you seek, Stumbletongue?”

“I wish for you to teach me the secrets of the earth, great Boars.”

“Hmm.” The Boar looked to the Sow, then back to the two-legged god. “We cannot teach you these secrets, clumsy Stumbletongue. These are home-secrets. You are a god, and the sky is your roof, the wide earth your floor. When the time comes, we will teach what we know to people who need our knowledge in order to live, to feed their children and warm their homes. But you, we cannot teach. Seek your destiny elsewhere.”

Stumbletongue bowed and walked away. As he left the field, the Rabbit saw him, and paused his endless capering to mock him for being rejected by the Boars, the most benevolent of all the gods. Stumbletongue said nothing, only loped on, his head down, his mouth grim.

He found the Fox painting a magnificent artwork with her tail, using the natural colors of the world as her pigments, a large slab of rock as her canvas. She was deeply engrossed, and Stumbletongue knelt down to wait. For days, he watched her create marvelous images of creatures of all kinds, most of them not seen in the world yet. He suspected that the images were prophetic, but he did not know where she had learned things not yet to come. At last she stopped to clean her tail, and noticed him watching.

“What do you seek, Stumbletongue?”

“I wish for you to teach me fine and useful crafts, glorious Fox.”

“Hmm.” She circled him closely, studying him with bright yellow eyes that saw all there was. “I cannot teach you my crafts, slow-witted Stumbletongue. Your hands were not made to hold my delicate tools, and your mind is not fierce enough to endure the heat of inspiration. Someday, my students will come—I paint their images now. But you, I cannot teach. Seek your destiny elsewhere.”

Stumbletongue bowed and departed. As he went, he watched for Rabbit, waiting for him to come and mock his quest. But all he heard was high-pitched laughter. He plodded on, his head down, his face empty.

One by one, Stumbletongue visited all of the gods, asking each in turn to teach him their special abilities. Each of them refused him, some with kind words, some with harsh. The Whirlwind only laughed, and though his laughter was nothing like the Rabbit’s, Stumbletongue heard the tone of the Rabbit in it.

At last he had only the Tiger and the Wolf left to ask. Stumbletongue hesitated before stepping into the forest where it bordered the jungle, breathing deeply and taking one last look at the sun. He heard rustling beside him, and knew that the Rabbit was pacing his steps, eager to see how his search would end.

He found Tiger and Wolf wrestling in a clearing, neither ever gaining advantage over the other. They growled and leaped and bore each other down, only to leap up again and begin the game anew. Stumbletongue did not kneel, but stood watching, waiting for the sport to pause.

In moments the Wolf noticed him, and broke off his attack, charging to the edge of the trees where the naked god stood. Stumbletongue did not flinch, and the Wolf scraped to a halt just before crashing into him. They stood nose to nose, dark eyes gazing into deep gold.

“What do you seek, Stumbletongue?”

“I wish for you to teach me the wild arts of the forest, Wolf.”

“Hmm.” The Wolf sat back on his haunches and licked his chops, studying Stumbletongue with unblinking eyes. “What did you ask of the other gods, Stumbletongue?”

“I asked the Leviathan to teach me magic. I asked the Boars to teach me earth-secrets. I asked the Fox to teach me fine crafts. I asked each of them to teach me their abilities, for I have none of my own.”

Wolf stood up and began to pace. Behind him, Tiger lounged in the bracken, grooming his paws. “You asked ill, foolish Stumbletongue,” the Wolf said. “You should have asked Leviathan to teach you wisdom, the Boars to teach you goodness, the Fox to teach you persistence. You should have asked the Waterfowl to teach you courage, the Whirlwind restraint, the Snake watchfulness. You should have asked the Bear to teach you how to protect and nurture, the Frog how to enjoy music, the Heron how to love. You have squandered all.”

The Wolf stopped pacing and sat down again. “You should have asked the Rabbit why he laughed. He would have told you, and you would have been better for it.”

Stumbletongue said nothing, only stared at the Wolf, his hands clenched into fists.

The Wolf tilted his head to one side. “Ask me to teach you justice, little god. If you ask, I will bestow on you all I have to give.”

Stumbletongue turned away, staring at the forest. Deep in the bushes he saw the eyes of the Rabbit, watching him. He saw mockery and ill-will, and did not see truly. With a wordless cry of anger, he seized a stick laying on the ground and began to beat the underbrush with it. After a time, he heard the soft padding footsteps of the Wolf, walking away.

He turned around, and saw the Tiger standing there, watching him calmly. “I will teach you how to hunt,” the Tiger said. “I will teach you something you can do with that stick in your hand.”

Stumbletongue nodded. He looked back at the forest, and could not see Rabbit anymore. But he knew then that he would catch the Rabbit one day, and end the mocking forever.

The god with no covering never spoke again. In time his first name was forgotten, and he was known only as the Hunter, implacable and cruel. Tiger taught him to make his stick into a spear, but he fashioned the first longbow himself. In the end, he forgot what Tiger had done for him, and began to hunt him as well. He never learned justice, nor any of the other qualities that the Wolf had recommended.

This was the first rift between the Wolf and the Tiger, and it never closed. Whenever they met afterward to wrestle and spar, it was no longer in sport. Grievance has piled on grievance, and reconciliation is now impossible.

And the Hunter will always hate the Rabbit, and will hunt him until the world ends and the stars fall from the sky.

 


	7. How the Prism Got Her Wish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the bedtime story Lance told in The Storyteller and the Thief. It is very soothing for children (and adults, too). Shiro especially loves this story.

When the world was young, Obora the Bear explored her vast snowy domain, striding through the deep white drifts, seeking nothing but to see what there was to see. She gave birth to twins and created the first home when she nurtured them in a cave. The Bear was the first and greatest mother, and always so she shall remain. Do not forget this simple fact, my children, for it figures greatly in the story of the Prism and how she got her wish.

As she explored, the Bear scaled frozen mountains and slid down the ice floes, traveling ever north. She slept under the Creator’s stars, and was fascinated by the ribbon of light that glowed above, shimmering and swaying like nothing the Bear had yet seen. It glowed in pink and blue and orange and green, shades not seen together in nature.

One night she decided not to sleep, but to keep ascending the mountain she was on, the highest and broadest mountain she had found in the north. Obora wished to get as close to the colorful ribbon as she could, to see what it was made of. She thought that if she could climb high enough, perhaps she could even walk among the stars. (Remember, children, that the Bear is a god and does not know fear. It is not given to us mortals to see such marvels. But that is why we have been given gods, to see what we cannot see and know what we cannot know, and to tell us all that is needful.)

On the peak of the highest mountain, deep in the fastness of darkest, coldest night, Obora the Bear stood surrounded by stars. There she looked into the Northern Lights, what the Tundra People call Kiubuyat. And there she saw that the Lights had a face, and the face was looking back at her.

“And who are you?” Obora asked. (Remember that the Bear knows no fear. If ever you look in the face of a god, you would do well to be fearful.)

“I am Rau,” said the Northern Lights. And she smiled, bright and beautiful, for these were the first words she had spoken since the dawn of Middian that were not spoken to herself only. “Who are you?”

“I am Obora the Bear, mistress of winter and death.”

The Bear sat on the mountain and conversed with Rau, the Northern Lights. Long they talked, with no regard for day or night, for up so high on that great mountain, even the Canary could not shine bright enough to drown out the night and the stars. The Prism was greatly curious about what lay to the south, for she was imprisoned in the northern sky and could look over only ice and snow and frigid seas. The Bear had traveled far to reach this place, and she told her new friend of all that she had seen.

Obora spoke of the other gods, of the Leviathan, the Tiger and the Wolf and their broken friendship, the rivalry between the Hunter and the Rabbit, the madness of the Frog and the wildness of the Waterfowl. She spoke of bright plants and brown earth that did not know the white blanket of snow, and the deep green jungle where only rains fell and did not freeze, and the painted deserts where rain fell only rarely. She spoke of the peoples that were beginning to populate young Middian, the dwarves and elves, humans and gnomes, halflings and orcs.

At this Rau sighed and fell silent. The Bear saw her sadness (remember, the Bear is a mother), and she too quieted. She looked gently on the goddess of lights, and tilted her great furry head to the side. “What sorrows you, my friend?”

“Oh, I wish that I could see these new peoples,” said Rau. “My task is to shine and to be beautiful among the stars, to bathe in the Panther’s light and flee from the Canary’s, and I am content with my task. But I have so loved talking to you, dear Obora, and I wish with all my heart that I could speak with these peoples. There is so much that I want to know!”

“Ah. I understand.” And the Bear knew sadness for the first time, for this was something that she could not provide. It was a new sensation for her, the goddess of snow and death and motherhood, to know that there was something that she could not do. Even gods dislike understanding that there is something they cannot do.

“I will return and speak to you often,” the Bear said at last, for it was all she could offer. “I will speak to other gods, and perhaps some of them will visit, as well. I know that the Fox enjoys learning, and she will speak with you of all she knows. Perhaps she will even send her kitsune to visit you and bring news. And the Rabbit is such a troublemaker, he may come north just to see what mischief he can do.”

Rau smiled sadly, and accepted the Bear’s gift with gratitude, though both knew that it was not truly an answer to her wish.

The Bear kept her word, and often visited Rau, climbing to the top of the mountain to converse with her. Other gods visited the north and met the goddess of the Northern Lights, taking on new forms to blend in with the snow. And in time, the peoples of Middian spread out and formed nations. The Tundra People came to live in the Winterlands, and Rau welcomed them with delight.

Yet still she could not meet them, trapped as she was in the sky. Only when they slept was she able to speak with them, as they met and mingled in the incorporeal realm of dreams. The Tundra People recognized her for the gentle goddess she was, and considered themselves blessed to have a goddess who belonged only the north. She taught them wondrous things, and they revered her for her wisdom and knowledge.

Rau loved the Tundra People dearly. And once, on a night like any other, a child of these northern tribes entered the dream world. Rau watched over him gently, and when his dreams turned sour, she was greatly distressed. The boy dreamed of his father drowning beneath the ice, his mother lost and alone. He dreamed a black shadow stealing over their home, covering all in fear and darkness. The goddess tried to reach the child in his dream, but the phantoms were too powerful and overcame her slight influence.

“Obora, Obora!” the Northern Lights cried, racing through the sky in search of her friend. Soon enough she found the Bear, sleeping in a cave open to the stars, and roused her from her deep slumber. (This you should never do, my children. Leave sleeping bears lie.)

“Yes, yes, I hear you,” the Bear grumbled, blinking and opening her mouth wide in a mighty yawn. “What troubles you?”

Rau explained about the child and his dream, and the Bear’s great heart was touched. She lumbered to her feet and shook her shaggy head, then strode out into the snow.

In a trice and a twinkling she was at the child’s side, sitting on her haunches beside his trundle bed. With mother-paws she soothed him into deep rest, growling gentle words in his ear. She grasped the furs around him delicately in her big white teeth and bundled him more tightly, and the child slept, safe from his dark dream.

The Bear returned to the anxious goddess of dreams shimmering on the top of an icy cliff, and they sat under the Panther’s bright light. Obora reassured Rau that the child was safe. Then she realized something, and tilted her head to the side. “My dear Rau, how is that you were able to speak to me? The ribbon of light was not shining outside my cave tonight.”

“Dear Bear, I thought you knew. Where once I am, there I can go again. It is ever so with thoughts, you know, returning to what they once touched in the flicker of an eye. It’s not much use, though, when all you can ever touch is the northern sky.” And she sighed.

“Hmm.” And the Bear blinked her great golden-brown eyes in thought. Perhaps it was then that Hlagen the Fox visited her, passing by in her arctic form, leaving inspiration in her footprints. More likely, though, it was the Bear herself, mistress of winter and motherhood, who knew then what to do at last.

The Bear took a great handful of snow in her paws and compressed it into pure ice, clear as glass. With her claws she shaped the ice, creating a many-sided figure, the angles of it precisely right. Then she lifted the newly-made prism to the Panther’s light, and the light refracted, creating a rainbow on the snow.

“You exist in light of many colors,” she said to Rau. “And so you must travel through that light. Can you also travel through this?”

The goddess of dreams gasped in understanding, and leapt down through the light into the rainbow on the snow. “Indeed I can!” she laughed in wonder. “How odd that I did not know! But now I do, and I will never forget.”

And so the Bear granted the Prism’s wish. The Fox gladly created thousands of crystal prisms and spread them throughout the world, and Rau was able to visit wherever the rainbows touched. She was able to speak with all the peoples of the world. Though many do not recognize her wisdom and beauty as the Tundra People do, you can now find a temple of the Prism in all of the best cities, and there you can find a crystal prism that Rau has touched.

This, my children, is why your mother hangs a prism on the wall beside your bed. In the day the light shines through it, and the Prism can visit where she wishes. And in the night she will guard your dreams, and call the Bear to soothe you if they turn sour. In giving the Prism a wish, the Sleeping Mother also gave a gift to all the children of Middian. Now, my dears, sleep well and deep, and fear nothing in the night.

 


End file.
